May Grove Residence

Project Description

A new house with a modest budget provides an opportunity to rethink the suburban home. Its front elevation eschews the high fence, instead revealing a double garage and upper level featuring operable perforated shutters, which together negotiate subtle boundary between public and private. Behind this a singular open plan volume contains the kitchen living and dining space. A smaller upper level contains two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a large central void over the dining space that connects the two volumes.

The material palette includes recycled red brick, raw cement sheet panels and timber. The sheer curtain surrounding the void ensures that light and shadow are the main players in an ephemeral internal experience. Operable shutters perform multiple functions; to expose views, control ventilation, gain solar access, provide privacy while physically engaging with the street. This is amplified in the evenings when the glowing perforations animate the façade and create a playful and vibrant entry forecourt.

Heat gain is controlled through the use of double glazing, a steel blade sunshade to northern window of the ground floor facade and a series of perforated operable shutters over all upper level windows. A central void acts as a natural thermal chimney where hot air can rise and then be flushed via effective cross flow ventilation. Thermal mass from the exposed ground floor slab, coupled with appropriate insulation levels help regulate the internal environment in both summer and winter.